HOUSTON – May 8 – Literacy Now, a local non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children and families through literacy and life skills, hosted its 10th Annual Literacy Now Guild Luncheon, Celebrate Reading! Fiesta, on May 3 at the Junior League of Houston. Luncheon Chairs, Shelby Doehring and Dawn Zieren, welcomed keynote speaker, Belinda Mays, an award-winning children’s author and speaker, as she shared her inspirational story.
The mission of the Literacy Now Guild is to assist with program activities and events, help raise funds for the organization, and spread awareness about the organization. Literacy Now’s Guild comprises a group of women from a variety of backgrounds, dedicated to addressing the literacy crisis in Houston. The organization’s main goal is to empower students to read at grade level by the end of third grade, thereby increasing the likelihood they will remain on track to graduate from high school and be ready to pursue their postsecondary goals. Since its inception in 2006, Literacy Now has positively impacted the lives of more than 24,000 children and their parents throughout Houston.
Emceed by Mia Gradney, KHOU Evening News Anchor, nearly 300 guests attended the event where they learned about the organization and the impact they are making with their contributions. In total, over $149,000 was raised to help struggling young readers throughout the Houston area. The event concluded with a silent auction and raffle while guests enjoyed the debut of the Literacy Now annual video.
“It is truly moving to see such an amazing group of individuals supporting Literacy Now and the children we serve,” said Jacque Daughtry, Chief Executive Officer of Literacy Now. “We are grateful to our guests, our wonderful Guild, event sponsors and supporters, for such a successful event. And a special thank you to this year’s Chairs, Shelby Doehring and Dawn Zieren, along with their committee, for making this luncheon happen!”
For more information on Literacy Now, visit www.literacynowhouston.org.
Event photos and 2024 Annual Video can be found here.
About Literacy Now
Literacy Now is a non-profit organization empowering children and families through literacy and life skills. The organization provides reading readiness and reading intervention programs, interactive parent engagement, as well as trained volunteers for the Lunch Bunch mentoring program – elements that contribute to children’s long-term success. Literacy Now supports children and their families, by working in Houston area Title 1 schools and on community sites throughout the city to bring these critical services directly to those in need. Their primary goal is to empower students to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade thereby making it much more likely they will remain on track to graduate from high school and be ready to pursue their postsecondary goals.
For more information on Literacy Now’s year-round programs and ongoing efforts, visit literacynowhouston.org/.